SALMON 231 



In addition to the wish to roll again in the rapids of the Dee, 

 we were expedited on our way by anxiety to rid ourselves 

 of biting insects that had attached themselves so fast to our 

 bodies as to become immovable, but which we hoped would 

 be washed away by the rush of the streams. 



" When the day dawned for our company to start, we made 

 at once for the nearest land. I cannot explain how we knew 

 in which direction to go, but suffice it to say no mistake was 

 made, for after a long swim we reached a rock-bound shore, 

 while in an equally mysterious manner the whole of us knew 

 which way to turn our heads in order to reach our goal. In an 

 extended line we commenced to swim along the coast, till we 

 were pulled up by a wall of weed, which bore to my mind a 

 most suspicious resemblance to the wall we had met in coming 

 down the river. We were now too big to pass through the 

 numberless small diamond-shaped holes in front of us, so re- 

 solving to exercise the greatest caution, I fell back to watch 

 my companions pushing their noses in vain against this barrier. 

 They followed along the wall until I saw many of them crowd- 

 ing into a great square space made of the same curious weed, 

 and mindful of my river experience, I darted back, taking with 

 me as many of my friends as I could alarm. As a crowd of 

 us steered. clear of the great square of weed, we noticed a stout 

 pole stood out through the length of the structure, and while 

 passing on we observed many of our numbers having got into 

 the square could not get out again. We therefore stayed our 

 progress to take counsel together as to whether we could in 

 any way assist them, when a boat containing Foes approached 

 the place where our friends were detained. 



" Now as long as the water is deep boats do not frighten 

 us at all, so we watched the proceedings, and on arriving over 

 the top of the square the Foes pulled at the pole passing 

 through it, when suddenly the whole thing collapsed into a 

 bag, which was quickly drawn into the boat with all our 

 struggling relations inside it! Horrified at the sight, we sadly 



